Just ask anyone that has stepped foot into my house and my closet.

One of the things we, as a family, are trying to cut back on is how much we spend at local coffee houses. If you think about it, two people getting two coffees every day is, on average, $60+ a week. That’s $60 that can go into our savings account for various projects (oh, and that school tuition we have hanging over our heads for the next 18 years). We could spend it on vacations to the Middle East and the Caribbean. We could add two new Vespas to our motoring family. I could buy more books. The possibilities on what I could spend that money on are endless.

Rob spent some time last month tracking how much we spend and where and he noticed an uptick in coffee charges in the past year – well beyond what we normally spend. When he asked me about it, I sheepishly glanced around and said “Hmm, really?”  I knew why it inched upwards – I was not only buying coffee for myself, but for the car behind me in the drive-thru lane.

And, I’ve been doing this for quite some time.

Every time I went through the drive-thru instead of going in, I always paid for the order behind me – whatever that amount was. The clerk is always surprised and they always make sure they thank me for my generosity. One even went as far as to say I made his day because he got to see the happiness on the face of the unsuspecting customer.

I never know how far back it goes – if each person waiting in line pays for the next one, and if the last in line donates their money to the tip jar, but I like to think it does.

I certainly don’t do it for some cosmic, worldly reward because in my three-plus years of coffee purchasing, I haven’t had a stranger pay for a single cup of mine. I do it because in that chain reaction, I am almost positive it finds the person who needs it the most – the person who is at the end of frayed rope and is searching for a single act of kindness to let them know they aren’t alone in this world and its really not as bad as we think it is.

I did finally come clean to my husband to explain why our coffee purchasing power was that of a third-world country. He laughed (but, to be honest, it was an annoyed my-wife-is-going-to-give-me-a-heart-attack laugh) and asked why I just didn’t tell him sooner .

It’s why you don’t disclose your annual church tithing. You do it to spread good not get accolades for your deeds. That and I knew he’d flip his shit.

He response didn’t surprise me – I knew what he was going to say. He asked if I could please stop giving free coffee to all of West St Paul and maybe, maybe just limit my “charity” to once a month OR SO.

Have I stopped? Yes and no. I’m a work in progress, folks. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

And, might I give you a suggestion and much needed direction?

These handmade pearl studs are perfect for stuffing a stocking! These beautiful handmade stud earrings are made from sterling silver wire wrapped around 6mm white Swarovski crystal pearl. And at only $17 (plus $3 for shipping), they are well within your Christmas budget. I intend to gift them to my future sister-in-law. She wear them out on the town, and like any really great piece of jewelry, dress them down with a pair of dark wash jeans and a simple white tee.

Designed by Gam Sorrentino, these beauties are just one of the many wonderful designs featured on her website. Simple, classic and handmade, these pieces (ranging from earrings to necklaces and bracelets) go from daytime to evening with sterling silver, gemstones, pearls and crystals. When she’s not designing jewelry, she is a wife and mom to a little girl. She operates her handmade indie biz in northern Vermont – taking all the photographs, handling all the marketing ventures, as well as designing and shipping.

Gam’s designs are contemporary, simple and beautiful thanks to her constant search of the best and most interesting supplies, following fashion trends and interjecting her unique style.

And if you’re shopping for me, I’d like these:

As a special offer to my readers, you can enjoy 20% off your order until December 10th using coupon code: BLOGGER. She’s also been gracious enough to host a GIVEAWAY! The winning comment will be selected at random on Sunday at 5 PM and will receive a pair of pearl earrings of their very own. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me which piece you like the best, follow Gam on Pinterest, Facebook, and stop by her Etsy site

Good luck!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Our Annual Anderson Matching Family Jammies came today! Although expensive, Hanna Andersson gives you the best bang for your buck!

As unappealing as this sounds, my children absolutely loved it. They ate almost two full servings of it AND requested it for lunch. You can’t go wrong with a meal that pleases everyone.

Stovetop Stuffing Soup over Steamed Rice

• 1 cup Stovetop Stuffing Cornbread
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 4 slices of Swiss cheese

Mix wine and soup in a glass baking dish. Mix stuffing mix with 1/4 cup butter and top over soup. Place cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve over steamed rice.

I mean, beige doesn’t look good on anyone.

And the black is just trashy.

It being Fashion Friday, I put together some tasteful outfits you can wear in public and not look like your working the pole in an Abu Dhabi nightclub.

30.

Well, technically almost 31.

31.

I just let out a big sigh. Age is creeping up on me. I see it in the small lines around my eyes and miniscule creases on my forehead. But the thing I suffer from the most is dark circles under my eyes and the accompanying bags.

I first noticed them a month before I gave birth to my first daughter. I woke up one morning and BAM! there they were and they have been with me every since. I didn’t know what to do with the dark circles – I was blessed with really great skin (Thanks Mom!). My complexion is neither oily nor dry and because I am very sensitive to harsh chemicals, I only wash my face with water.

I have been blemish free, wrinkle free and dark circle free for most of my 30 years… until pregnancy.

I lived with it for a few months before reaching out to one of my beauty blogging buddies for advice on which products I should use that would be gentle on my sensitive skin, but strong enough to banish the dark circles and bags.

I used Origins, La Mer, Clinque, Olay and every other product on the market. I used cucumbers, got facials and seaweed wraps, I even went as far as slapping an ice mask on my face every night and the only thing that changed was my checking account. None of them worked.

I went back to my beauty guru and she suggested more sleep or perhaps a Bobbi Brown Under Eye concealer.

Sure, Bets. I could get more sleep, but while you’re at it can you please send me a night nanny and money to pay her with?

There was no way “more sleep” was going to happen – especially since I was in my sixth month of my second pregnancy. Sleep was a far-off dream.

I went with the concealer and have been suffering in silence and slathering cover-up on my face every since.. until I came across a miracle product.

The Eye Revolution Gel from Dermagist uses specialized ingredients focus on improving that darkened look, and giving the eye area a light, fresh complexion. The blood particles that accumulate under the skin is what causes that “dark circle” that is so dreaded. The formulation in the Eye Revolution Gel is intended to help the particles dissipate, and thus, provide benefit to the area, in terms of darkness.

I have used this product for just under three weeks now and I’ve noticed significant results. I put it on in the morning underneath my make-up and in the evening and the first thing to go was the puffiness. I still have some dark circles under my eyes, but it has lightened up and I’m confident over time they will disappear for good.

I haven’t changed my eating habits, my beauty habits (save for this one) or sleeping habits. The change came from using this product. It’s sensitive enough for allergy-prone people such as myself. My eyes didn’t water after applying it to my skin, I didn’t break out and the smell didn’t make me sneeze.

Try it for 30 days. You’ll notice a big difference too. What do you have to lose other than those pesky dark circles? And let’s face it, when you’re staring down the barrel of middle age, the last thing you want is bags under your eyes making you look older than your years.

And because Dermagist is such a great company, they graciously offered give one of my readers the Hydrating Spa System, a $140 value! The Hydrating Spa System is a total body luxury spa treatment combining ALL 3 of their lotions for hand, body, and feet, that will leave you moisturized, relaxed and looking younger.

• The body lotion for deep hydration, calming of the skin and firming of wrinkles and sags.
• The hand cream for removal of age spots and discoloration, while tightening and providing a youthful look.
• The foot cream for soothing and relaxing tired feet while healing cracks and dryness with a therapeutic combination of ingredients.

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED

To enter the giveaway, please LIKE their Facebook page (to stay up to date on all their promotions and sales), follow them on YouTube, and enter a comment below. I’ll announce a winner on Friday at noon.

That gives you two and a half days to enter, enter, enter!

To buy the Eye Revoltion Gel or to find more great products, visit Dermagist on the Web or call them to place your order at 1-888-273-8011.

The winner of the prize package, selected my Random Generator is…. ERIN!

Thanks for entering guys, stay tuned for more delightful giveaways!

1.     Totally Random Peach

This is one of the wines on the list I’ve actually had the privilege of drinking, and it’s great. What drew me to the brand (after their great social media campaigns) was its sense of aesthetics. The label speaks of a patchwork quilt or a teenager’s collage, overlaid with words carefully cut from a magazine. It gives off a calculated ‘randomness’ that’s pleasing to the eye—it’s quirky and fun, but not actually random. It’s very well put together. This label lets you know that this is the perfect wine for a casual Saturday afternoon. Oh—and it was a perfectly sweet little bottle, too.

2.     Dada 1

I’ve seen Dada’s wines pop up on a few blogs before, but I never thought I’d get to see a bottle in person—much try one! The wine itself was really potent and acidic, sort of a mutated Sauvignon Blanc, but label is what I remember the most. The mannequin hand holds out one finger to represent the ‘1’ (Dada also has a ‘2’), and it’s rendered with halftone dots that make it look like it came out of some strange version of the past. The gold logo, the white label and the antique-future hand are all laid out with perfect precision. This is a great looking bottle, and its stark-but-creative logo is a good gatekeeper for what lies inside.

3.     Boxhead Shiraz

Though it’s somewhat like the Totally Random bottle in its patchwork design, Boxhead’s Shiraz bottle adds some artiness to the mix. The logo itself is inventive, but still quite readable. It’s joined by squares in an assortment of colors that are lovely, muted and tasteful. Each of these squares contains a simple-but-energetic image—my two favorites are, of course, the winemaker’s signature ‘Boxhead’ mascot. I only had a taste of the wine at a friend’s house (I had to drive soon after), but I remember it being a great little Shiraz.

4.     Elk & Wolf Chardonnay

I’ve never tried this wine. I’m not sure where it was available or how good it was—after all, it’s in an aluminum bottle (there might be glass underneath the aluminum, I’m not sure!) and it doesn’t have a cork. My research tells me that it was the product of a UK based design firm, but I’ve loved this bottle ever since I saw it in a blog post several years ago. It’s always stuck with me. The silhouettes of the elk and the deer themselves look marvelous, and there’s a ton of room for interpretation in the scene. The industrial aluminum backdrop makes for a striking pair with the black, and the logo is downright gorgeous. Not many designers make an ampersand speak volumes, but SocialUK did just that.

5.     Naked King Wine

This is another one I’ve never tried, and it certainly looks expensive—I doubt we’d find this at the grocery store as an impulse buy! There’s just something to be said for such a simple, elegant design. Most wine bottles are far too busy or obsessed with cute animals to adopt this kind of perfection-via-simplicity. The two-tiered white crown looks amazing against the darkness of the wine bottle, and there would be no mistaking Naked King Wine for anything else. It’s also sort of a concept-wine it seems, telling the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes through design. I’m in love with this bottle and think it would look amazing on any wine rack.

Next time you’re at the supermarket or your local wine shop, take an extra look at the bottles and the labels—how much do they influence you? Also, I’d love to see your favorite wine bottle designs in the comments!

Italian Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1. In a large soup pot, brown onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, water and bouillon. Season with parsley, oregano and basil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Stir in cabbage, corn, green beans and pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente. Add more water if needed.